Australians may not be as laid back as the popular stereotype suggests when it comes to their work, a new survey reveals.
The research from Kronos, which surveyed over 500 working Aussies, found that 71 per cent would prefer to have a high achieving and demanding manager to one who is nice but ineffective.
Peter Harte of Kronos said Australians want managers who will push their limits.
“Employees want to work with people who can achieve great results, even if their management skills are a little rough around the edges,” Harte said.
The survey found that over 75 per cent of workers rank honesty as the most important attribute of a good manager, while prefer plain-talking managers are also popular.
The most annoying phrases heard in the workplace include “I don’t care how, just get it done”, “Think outside the box”, and “At the end of the day…”.
“It’s fantastic to see the majority of employees view their manager as honest, collaborative, and dedicated, all very positive workplace behaviours. But it comes as no surprise that the common phrases we use at work really don’t establish rapport between co-workers, in fact, they create tension,” Harte said.
Finding the right way to motivate employees can be harder than it sounds for many managers, who find it difficult to strike a balance between being too friendly and too tough.
The key is to take the time to develop a professional rapport with staff by being clear with them and giving them meaningful feedback on their work, motivating them to perform.
With today’s job market seeing workers shift from job to job every few years, effective leadership can go a long way to keeping employees satisfied and decreasing staff turnover.
